Category - Storage Auction News

For years, the storage auction business operated in much the same way: A storage unit would go into default, the property manager would send out legal notices, then it would set up a live auction to sell off the unit’s contents. Traditionally, these auctions were always advertised through local newspapers, with the sales generally being attended by the same group of people week after week. Storage unit auctions were a small, little-known business that made some decent money for the handful of regulars who knew what they were doing.

All of that started to change once the storage auction reality shows opened up a window to this world for anyone who wanted to peek into it. Suddenly, fueled by dreams of found treasures and a desire to beat the recession, scores of new auction hunters flooded local auctions, hoping to replicate the successes they’d seen on TV. In response to this new demand, the storage auction business took off, and technology helped speed along the process.

The Internet has been crucial in the evolution of the storage auction business. Storage facilities began using their websites to advertise upcoming auctions, moving away from print media. Auction listing services started aggregating this information, making it easier than ever to find upcoming sales.

The most dramatic change, however, has been the development of online storage auctions.

These virtual auctions take place over the Internet, following the familiar format of eBay or similar auction sites. Facilities can post photos and descriptions of their for-sale units, allowing interested bidders to view them and bid from the comfort of home. This dramatically widens the audience for any particular sale and is much more convenient for buyers and sellers alike. It also opened up the doors for private sellers to put their own units up for auction, allowing them to pay off their storage bill or simply make some extra money from unwanted items in storage.

Online auctions are great for buyers because they’re convenient. Instead of driving around town to see units that may not even be worth bidding on, you can browse auctions at your convenience throughout your day. You’ll only need to leave the house once you’ve won a unit. These sales are great for sellers, too, since they generally bring in greater profits and are much less of a hassle to put together.

Once the online storage auction revolution was underway, plenty of people have tried to get on the bandwagon by offering web space for these auctions to occur. In most cases, the sites would make their profit by charging fees to buyers or sellers. Others would work on a subscription basis, charging a flat fee per month for the benefit of having access to all of the ongoing sales.

You don’t have to pay a premium to get in on the virtual storage action, however. OnlineStorageAuctions.com is an entirely free service that offers all of the benefits of other sites without the price tag. The site allows you to buy and sell with no additional fees, and it sports a massive community and plenty of auction variety from across the country.

If you’ve never tried your luck with a storage auction before, now is your chance. With mobile bidding available straight from your smart phone, you can literally start buying from anywhere, no matter how busy your schedule may be.

So, what do you think about online storage auctions? Which storage auction format do you prefer, online or live?

Dave Hester settled out of court with A&E Network on his wrongful termination lawsuit.

Ongoing war waged by ‘Yuup’ miser when Original Productions fired Hester from appearing in the fourth season of Storage Wars.

No way would ‘The Mogul’ bow out peacefully when he was axed off the show without a good long whine in which he cried – Nuuup!

Dave Hester then filed a lawsuit against A&E and Original Productions stating,

“The truth is that (producers) regularly salt or plant the storage lockers that are the subject of the auctions portrayed on the series with valuable or unusual items to create drama and suspense for the show.”

That if true would be in direct violation of the Communications Act of 1934.

But it was not true according to the ruling of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson when he threw out the claim of Unfair Business Practices back in March of 2013.

Anti-Slapp SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. It’s under the first amendment act of freedom of speech. SLAPP can be a civil complaint or counterclaim filed against individuals or organizations.

Jarrod and Brandi were showcased in an A&E spinoff special, Married to the Job.

If you missed the special, here's the summary:

Jarrod celebrated his birthday for an entire month.

Brandi was perturbed the entire month.

Cameron struggled with algebra.

Payton cleaned toilets.

You had to be there. Their Orange County Now and Then thrift store celebrated their fourth year "still in business." Knock on wood.

Jarrod and Brandi also attended the 2014 Billboard Awards.

Darrell suffered a slight injury which stalled his fitness training for a short period of time. Meanwhile, he and his son Brandon stocked the new corporate office.

Rene and Casey attended a Journey's concert.

I bet you’re thinking, “Huh?” Yeah, they don’t seem the rock-n-roll type. Rene.. well, he and Darrell kept true to their rivalry and thwacked each other on Twitter. I won’t even get into who said what to whom.

I lied. I had to show you a little of what you missed if you don't follow Rene and Darrell on Twitter.

Ivy's proclamation: I'm not just the King of Palmdale. I'm the King of Curly Fries... I Rule.

That's all the news on the former MMA fighter. He doesn't post much on Twitter.

Time for a special announcement outside of the original cast:

Jenny Grumbles from Storage Wars: Texas is PREGNANT! As of May 24th she’s 20 weeks with her first baby. She’s a new wife, new homeowner, and now about to become a new MOM!

People like pretty things. That’s the norm. Pretty clothes. Pretty houses. Pretty jewelry. Pretty items you find inside a storage unit that you believe will fetch you a pretty penny.

Don’t dismiss the ugly because it could be worth a fortune.

Art is subjective, yes. However unless you’re an art history major or antiquities dealer you’ll dismiss a collectible because it’s plain or hideous. But what is it really worth?

Recently reported on the news (March 2013) a person bought a $3 ceramic bowl at a yard sale. Off white in color (blah) with leaf petal designs on the bottom. The bowl is not pretty by definition but it’s almost priceless. It originated from the Northern Song Dynasty in China and it’s about 1,000 years old. It sold at Sotheby’s for $2.224 Million!

Bring on the UGLY!

Woman saw a painting tossed in the garbage on a street in Manhattan. She liked the vibrant colors and hey, it was free so why not take it. She unknowingly recovered a lost painting by Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo titled, “Tres Personajes.” Sold at auction for $1 Million!

If you think monkeys are cute, take a look at this Chinese Monkey Fountain Head from the 18th century. Stolen from China around 1780, the monkey fountain didn’t resurface until 1987. Sold at auction for $1 Million!

Man buys five paintings for $5 at a Vegas yard sale. He liked one painting enough to have it reframed. Inside the painting he found a sketch by Andy Warhol when the artist was only 10-years old. Any other kid and that sketch would be worthless, but this Warhol was valued at $2 Million!

Woman buys a $5 painting at a thrift store that could be a lost Jackson Pollock painting. Lack of providence and evidence created such speculation that the story became a documentary. Currently the painting sits in an art gallery with a $50 Million price tag.

Oh, and the last painting below is clearly a Picasso. Pretty, no. Not on this planet. Sold at auction for $100 Million! If by chance you come across art that looks like a Warhol, Pollack, or a Picasso at a yard sale, thrift shop or storage auction — don’t toss it out. Sure it’s ugly, but if it’s the real deal the value could be a beautiful fortune.

On Tuesday, September 3rd, LA Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson ruled that the former Storage Wars cast member Dave Hester can proceed forward with his wrongful termination lawsuit against A&E Television and Original Productions.

YUUUP!

The former ex-villain of the reality television series wins the second round in this now 10-month lawsuit saga against the network.

First round, the former reality star was ordered by the judge to pay $122,692 for A&E’s legal fees for the anti-SLAPP motion he filed against the production company. OUCH! Sure, let him just get out his wallet and pay in tens and twenties, like for the next twenty years.

The judge emphasized that the dispute between the reality star and the television executives remains as an “employment dispute.” Dave Hester was set to rake in $25,000-per-episode for the 26 episodes of the fourth season of the show before he was fired.

Judge says the argument ignores the fact that Hester doesn't need to "prove" an actual violation to prevail on his wrongful termination claim. Sort of strange considering California is a no-fault state, which means an employer can just fire you in a *snap.*

However, Dave was fired for reporting "reasonably based suspicions."

HUH?!

What were these reasonably based suspicions or illegal conducts by A&E and Original Productions, you ponder?

Dave Hester claims A&E fired him off the show in retaliation just days after he complained about the staged scenes by the executives. Here is how he claims the show was rigged:

Producers planted items inside storage units up for auction to enhance drama for the show.

Which cast member would win a storage unit was predetermined before the show was filmed.

Cast members were told which lockers to bid on, how much to bid, and the production company would then occasionally finance the bids of the weaker cast members.

The judge writes:

"Whether Plaintiff’s suspicions were reasonably based and made in good faith are factual questions that cannot be decided on demurrer."

Judge also states:

"Plaintiff’s claim for punitive damages contains sufficient factual allegations. Whether or not Plaintiff can prove his allegations is not the function of a motion to strike."

Now Dave Hester is now suing to recover the money he would have made during season four had he not been fired. He seeks $750,000 in general damages and will ask for more in punitive damages against the two production companies. That could add up to millions of dollars! Guess what? The judge isn't ruling it out.

Dave Hester, A&E Television and Original Productions will go to trial.

Who will win the final round?

Please give us your opinions of this ongoing lawsuit in the comment box below.

A couple in Southfield, Michigan decided to start attending storage auctions in hopes of finding treasure and making some extra money. Along the way, they found plenty of jewelry and other nice items; unfortunately, they also stumbled onto the storage unit of a pedophile and are paying the price.

Last week, the couple attended an auction in Ypsilanti's National Storage Center, and purchased a unit that was filled with many items related to a child pornography operation. The couple identified some items at the facility, including several obscene photographs and used undergarments.

At the time, the couple threw away what they had found and alerted the storage facility owner. They then took home the rest of the unit's contents, which were kept in multiple storage bins, and continued sorting through them at home. Once there, they found more equipment including cameras, lights and more obscene photographs.

The couple planned to deliver the rest of these items to the police, but they didn't get the chance. Local authorities, possibly tipped off by the storage facility itself, arrived at the home and seized the items and arrested the homeowner despite his pleas that the items had simply been found. He's being charged with possession of child pornography and obstruction of an ongoing investigation.

This serves as a very important warning for anyone who frequents lien sales. Once you purchase a storage unit, the items inside become your legal property, and you are responsible for them. In this case, the auction hunters should have contacted the police immediately rather than taking any items home or attempting to dispose of them themselves. Illegal items such as child pornography, drugs and stolen goods, are all evidence of a crime, and disposing of them is considered tampering with evidence – even if you were completely uninvolved in the crime itself.

Of course, reporting such a find does mean that you will likely lose the contents of the unit, even the items that are not illegal. Still, this is better than running the risk of an arrest due to possession of these illegal objects. Play it safe and report anything you find that seems suspicious.

James Bond fans around the world are preparing for a London auction scheduled for September 8th and 9th at RM Auctions. The vehicle in question, lovingly referred to as “Wet Nellie,” is the 007 Lotus Espirit submarine car featured in The Spy Who Loved Me. This one-of-a-kind car was built by Perry Oceanographic in Riviera Beach, Florida and cost over $100,000 at the time. Today, that would translate into a $500,000 expense.

The vehicle became available after being discovered in a storage unit. It seems that the prop was originally kept in a prepaid storage facility in Long Island. After the 10 years of prepaid time ended, no one came forward to claim the vehicle or pay additional rent, so the abandoned unit was auctioned off in a blind auction. The winners had no idea what had been purchased until afterwards, when they removed the tarp from the car and identified it as the 007 prop.

This one-of-a-kind vehicle is genuinely priceless, and no estimates have been made as to what it might sell for. The last James Bond vehicle to be publicly auctioned, Goldfinger's Aston Martin DB5, sold for around $4.4 million. This vehicle is much older and even more unique, so it may earn a substantially higher final bid.

This is not the first time that expensive movie paraphernalia has been lost and turned up in a storage auction, and it does give hope to auction hunters everywhere.

On Friday, July 12, Dave Hester was ordered by a judge to pay $122,692 for A&E’s legal fees for the anti-SLAPP motion he filed against A&E.

YUUUP!

He lost BIG but Dave caught a break. The judge questioned the submitted legal fees (money grubbing lawyers) from A&E’s legal team of 8 lawyers and 4 paralegals at whopping $138,194; and from Original Productions 3 lawyers at $43,263.

Total legal fees: $181,457!

Combined legal team incurred 354 hours on the anti-SLAPP motion.

The judge however trimmed A&E’s legal fee amount by 30% and Original Production’s by 40%, but that’s still $122,692 Dave Hester must pay out to A&E’s legal team.

SLAPP stands for "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation." It’s under the first amendment act of freedom of speech. SLAPP can be a civil complaint or counterclaim filed against individuals or organizations.

Unfortunately Dave’s chance to win an anti-SLAPP motion is slim since these motions are highly unsuccessful in court; however they do well to bring awareness to the public arena.

The disgruntled ex-reality star, fresh from being kicked off the show, revealed in the lawsuit that A&E salted the storage units bought on Storage Wars. In layman’s terms the producers planted “items” in the storage units to generate drama and intrigue to increase ratings and interest.

THAT was the public awareness Hester wanted to come to the fore.

Dave’s stance was that Storage Wars made him look less adept than fellow bidders through “interference and manipulation of the outcomes of the auctions shown.”

Dave Hester then slapped an anti-SLAPP motion against A&E.

He lost.

Judge slapped Dave Hester with a $122,692 legal bill!

But it’s not over.

Dave Hester’s lawsuit is a five-part claim (sort of like a very costly mini-series). Pending lawsuit includes “claims of breach of contract and good faith.” Judge also gave Hester the chance to collect more evidence and re-file his wrongful termination claim.

The Dave Hester vs. A&E lawsuit saga continues…

Tell us what you think of the latest development in the Hester vs. A&E lawsuit in the comment box below.

Storage Wars was civil this past season so why the animosity on Twitter? Think about it. Who loved to stir the pot on the show.

Dave Hester

Dave riled Dan Dotson on Twitter after Radar Online leaked that the Dotsons plot to unite all of the cast members of Storage Wars to demand a bigger salary and a piece of the spin-offs money pie; or everyone walks off the show.

Not sure how A&E weighs these threats/rumors when Darrell Sheets, Dan & Laura Dotson may be dropped from the show this coming season.

Not sure Jarrod Schulz or Brandi Passante would jeopardize their standings with A&E now that Barry Weiss has retired.

So why get all fugly on Twitter?

Because they can.

That's the first time I've read that Dave Hester may have recorded a phone conversation with Dan Dotson without Dan's knowledge.

Dave hasn't tweeted since June. The Twitter War is over, for now. What do you think about this Storage Wars Twitter war?

In a highly anticipated and much-delayed auction, six items of Kobe Bryant memorabilia have gone up for auction on July 17th through the site GoldinAuctions.com. This occurred at the end of a lengthy legal battle between Kobe, his mother and the owner of the auction site – a legal battle that's generated plenty of media attention and controversy.

The situation reportedly began when Kobe refused to give his mother the $450,000 she wanted for a new home in Nevada. She then turned to the numerous items Kobe had stored at the family home and decided to put them up for sale through GoldinAuctions. The site owner, Kenneth Goldin, quickly assessed the value of the 100 proposed items and agreed to give Pamela Bryant an advance of the amount she needed for her home; he expected to make a tidy $1.5 million in profits.

All of this came to a swift end when Kobe and his legal team found out about the auctions. A cease-and-desist letter was quickly sent out to Goldin, who initially resisted. Kobe, who had never given his mother permission to sell the items stored at the family home, pursued the case with a lawsuit that was set to go to trial next week.

Fortunately for Goldin, it didn't go that far. Instead, Goldin and Bryant reached a settlement and came to an agreement: Six of the original 100 items would be placed for auction on Goldin's site, and half of the proceeds will be donated to an anti-bullying charity that Kobe supports. Kobe's parents also released a public apology for the situation.

The items up for auction are some of the most highly coveted and valuable of the original 100:

Two of Bryant's high school basketball uniforms

A medallion from Magic's Roundball Classic, a high school all-star game